Travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Travel warning is issued for traveling to Bosnia and Herzegovina. For more information please visit U.S. Department of State.

Browse listings of  Home Exchange, Vacation Rentals , Homestay, B&B,(furnished apartments, villas, cottages, condos, farmhouses and other types of accommodations) of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

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Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1
• Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellular phone etc.)
• Currency: Convertible Mark (KM)
• Country Dialing Code: 387

Must See - Properties on UNESCO World Heritage List 

• Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Croatia

Capital
Sarajevo

Population
4,025,476 (July 2005 est.)

Regions
2 first-order administrative divisions and 1 internationally supervised district* - Brcko district (Brcko Distrikt)*, the Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Federacija Bosna i Hercegovina) and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska; note - Brcko district is in northeastern Bosnia and is an administrative unit under the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina; the district remains under international supervision

Largest cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Zenica, Bijeljina, Mostar, Prijedor, Brčko, Bihać, Doboj

Climate
hot summers and cold winters; areas of high elevation have short, cool summers and long, severe winters; mild, rainy winters along coast

Ethnic groups
Serb 37.1%, Bosniak 48%, Croat 14.3%, other 0.6% (2000) note: Bosniak has replaced Muslim as an ethnic term in part to avoid confusion with the religious term Muslim - an adherent of Islam

Religions
Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14%

Languages
Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Government type
emerging federal democratic republic

Background
Bosnia and Herzegovina's declaration of sovereignty in October 1991 was followed by a declaration of independence from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992 after a referendum boycotted by ethnic Serbs. The Bosnian Serbs - supported by neighboring Serbia and Montenegro - responded with armed resistance aimed at partitioning the republic along ethnic lines and joining Serb-held areas to form a "Greater Serbia." In March 1994, Bosniaks and Croats reduced the number of warring factions from three to two by signing an agreement creating a joint Bosniak/Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 21 November 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the warring parties initialed a peace agreement that brought to a halt three years of interethnic civil strife (the final agreement was signed in Paris on 14 December 1995). The Dayton Peace Accords retained Bosnia and Herzegovina's international boundaries and created a multi-ethnic and democratic government charged with conducting foreign, diplomatic, and fiscal policy. Also recognized was a second tier of government composed of two entities roughly equal in size: the Bosniak/Bosnian Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnian Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS). The Federation and RS governments were charged with overseeing most government functions. Additionally, the Dayton Accords established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the agreement. The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) at its conference in Bonn in 1997 also gave the High Representative the authority to impose legislation and remove officials, the so-called "Bonn Powers." An original NATO-led international peacekeeping force (IFOR) of 60,000 troops assembled in 1995 was succeeded over time by a smaller, NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR). In 2004, European Union peacekeeping troops (EUFOR) replaced SFOR. Currently EUFOR deploys around 1,000 troops in theater in a policing capacity.

Map of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The triangle approximates the shape of the country and its three points stand for the constituent peoples - Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs; the stars represent Europe and are meant to be continuous (thus the half stars at top and bottom); the colors (white, blue, and yellow) are often associated with neutrality and peace, and traditionally are linked with Bosnia,

Bosnia and Herzegovina Travel and Accommodation – Your Tips for Travelers

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